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Accuracy of boat length


Bob692

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I am in the process of buying a 3 year old NB. The boat instruction manual and the broker (who lifted the info from the paperwork) reckons the boat is 57'. My pre purchase survey reckons the boat is 58' 5". Is this usual to have such a discrepancy?

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On a warm day?

That is a large discrepancy but every boat I have ever measured has been a bit different from the quoted length.

Its not important and 57ft is less to licence! Then sell it as 58 + ft.

An error in the beam however could cause you severe grief. I always check the beam on a boat I am interested in.

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It may be that the original 57ft figure doesn't include the rudder but the 58ft 5in figure does include it. Certainly the stated length of our boat didn't include the rudder (a good thing since the build cost was £1k/ft, also that's what its licensed at) but then we went into a marina that measured it to include our rudder and charged us for an extra 2ft

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I don't think I am that bothered. If the survey hadn't turned it up, it would have been 'ignorance is bliss'. However it seems odd that one of the main criteria on which a boat is judged whether it is when its for sale, marina/CRT fees, blacking etc should be so vague. I just wondered if this is usual.

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1 hour ago, Galilee said:

Wouldn't the difference between 57ft and 58.5ft also be the difference between being able to use the Calder and Hebble and not being able to use it?

Allegedly no.

I have been assured that 58' 6" is actually no problem at all in the shortest C&H locks, and all are just doable at exactly 60 feet.

That said, I wouldn't like to try, given just how much water pours over and through some of the top gates!

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7 hours ago, Bob692 said:

I am in the process of buying a 3 year old NB. The boat instruction manual and the broker (who lifted the info from the paperwork) reckons the boat is 57'. My pre purchase survey reckons the boat is 58' 5". Is this usual to have such a discrepancy?

We are told this isn't particularly unusual.

Often if it requires that steel sheets in the hull would need to be cut shorter to achieve an exact length the boat-builder may not bother, and instead produce a boat a foot or two longer, at no extra cost to themselves.

If doing something like the C&H is important to you, and the quoted length of the boat is anywhere near the ruling length as to what will pass and what will no, then it is worth getting the boat measured accurately before committing to buy it.

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11 hours ago, ditchcrawler said:

Not many people measure their boats to check. Are you bothered if its a bit longer than you thought

 

Actually, Length was of vital importance to a customer of a local brokerage today.

Chap came in, broad Yerkshire accent, wanting to buy a boat and wondering where the office was, I pointed him across the car park .

He then explained in great detail that the boat needed to be exactly XX feet long(not a gnats bollock longer), as he would not be allowed on the mooring is it was too long. He wanted to measure the boat. So he was accompanied over, measured XX , and was happy.

"Would you like us to go and get the keys so you can have a look inside?" ..

....."No, it fits, I'll buy it"......

 

Just like that.

 

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23 hours ago, Bob692 said:

I am in the process of buying a 3 year old NB. The boat instruction manual and the broker (who lifted the info from the paperwork) reckons the boat is 57'. My pre purchase survey reckons the boat is 58' 5". Is this usual to have such a discrepancy?

The licence fee has a threshold at 17.5 metres.  57' is in a lower fee category than 58'5".  Maybe that explains the discrepancy?  ;)

 

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1 hour ago, Murflynn said:

when I ordered a 57ft sailaway from Scouseboats I mad a visit to check how they were progressing.   They were doing great, including adding 4ft to the length.  Yes, it was my boat 'cos the windows were according to my specified requirements.

 

they had to start again.

 

Just after "an oh shit moment" to use the techincal terminology. 

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3 minutes ago, Machpoint005 said:

 

Just after "an oh shit moment" to use the techincal terminology. 

 

1 hour ago, Murflynn said:

when I ordered a 57ft sailaway from Scouseboats I mad a visit to check how they were progressing.   They were doing great, including adding 4ft to the length.  Yes, it was my boat 'cos the windows were according to my specified requirements.

 

they had to start again.

Sounds about right. Judging by some of their hulls they had no tape measures or at least not 2 the same.

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3 hours ago, Boater Sam said:

 

Sounds about right. Judging by some of their hulls they had no tape measures or at least not 2 the same.

It was the times when they used a different tape measure on each side resulting in one side being 6" shorter than the other side.

 

"Mass production" shouldn't mean lower quality.

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